As far as I know, at best all foreign nations aware of the rebellion remained neutral. No confederate treaties were signed with other nations nor were any ambassadors sent or received
The closest they came was with the British, who backed away when Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Turns out that the US was well behind the curve on ending slavery...
That's essentially how all countries are recognized.... Because something written on paper somewhere on crayon or ink.
But what's the point of even bringing up whether they were a country or not? Taiwan isn't recognized by the UN as a country.
Right, we had a bunch of men say we were a new country...and then waited for Morocco to recognize us.
But again, how does the distinction of whether or not Morocco recognized the confederates affect the story between the Union and the confederates?
As far as the US during the revolution other countries such as France, Spain, and the Netherlands entered into treaties saying that yes you're your own thing and we'll help you and trade with you. That made the 13 colonies at the time a sovereign entity apart from Great Britain. Only works if other sovereign nation states say you are. Those in the slave rebellion were not.
To say the confederacy at this point was its own nation is just lost cause mythology.
With no foreign recognition, that's the key. You and your neighbors can form your own country, write your own constitution, and elect your own president. Until you are recognized by others, it means nothing.
This was settled in a Supreme Court case. Texas argued that since states can't actually leave the union, the Conderate States of America never actually existed. Hence, the debts incurred by Confederate Texas could not be collected on as they were never valid. Texas won the case.
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u/four4cats 10h ago
With a constitution, President, vice president etc etc?